In-Class Prompt #6

Write about the worst or best job you've ever had. Take the following questions into consideration when writing:
-ID the place of employee, your job title, and your responsibilities.
-When (date/season/your age) and where did this specific job take place?
-Who did you work with (friends/people your age/older people)? What did they look like, how did they act, what did they say?
-Was anything else of significance going on in your life (or in the world)?
-Why was this the best or worst job you've ever had?

You can choose to write about one specific event that sums up your entire experience, or you can tell a series of events that all point to the same idea/focus. Remember to provide reflection, in addition to scenes.

In-Class Prompt #5

Write about the most interesting person you know. Identify the person and their relationship to you. Make three lists (they can be complete sentences, or they can contain a bullet list). In the first list, include any pertinent physical characters (size, hair color, any unique physical details, etc.). In the second list, write down any dialog (speech) you can remember. For example, if the person constantly says something on a daily basis--any catch phrases, if you will. In third list, write down this person's specific behaviors.

From these lists, take one or more items and develop a scene, based on a specific memory you have of this person. Remember to include setting/place, the time, physical descriptions, dialog, and action.

For Homework:
In addition to the scene, provide some reflection on the event. Why is this s/he the most fascinating person you know? Did anything important in your life occur around the same time as this scene? Do you still keep in touch with this person? Reflect on this time or this person in any way you'd like.

Also, read "Black Hair," by Gary Soto. You can find the link to this essay on the right-hand column of the class blog. Be prepared to discuss the piece on Monday.

Extra Credit

Just a reminder: tomorrow there are two Good Thunder events. You can receive extra credit by attending either the Craft Talk at 3:00pm (in CSU 284) or the Reading at 7:30pm (in CSU 253). In order to receive extra credit, you will need to write at least 150 words and post that write-up to your blog. Identify the writer and report on what he talked about or read in your write-up. You'll have a week to post your response. Please check in with me before the event begins so I know to check your blog.

The write-up and your attendance will earn you 1% onto your final grade. There are four Good Thunder events this semester, which means you can possibly gain four extra percentage points if you go to all of them. Because MSU uses grade shading (+/- system), these points could become valuable at the end of the term. Note: there is only 1% available for each Good Thunder date. If you go to both the reading and the craft talk on any of the dates, you will not receive 2% extra credit. For a full schedule of Good Thunder dates and events, click the link on the right-hand side of this blog.

Homework for Monday, September 21st

The final draft of your Summary/Responses are due this next Monday. There's a dropbox set up on D2L, marked Summary/Response--Final Draft. Remember to submit a copy of your paper into the dropbox in addition to turning in a hard copy. Failure to do both will result in a lowering of your paper's final grade. For full assignment details, please reference the assignment sheet provided under the content section of D2L.

Also, you have a reading assignment for Monday. There is a link on the right-hand side of this blog titled, "The American Male at Age Ten." Make sure you have read and are prepared to discuss this essay in class on the 21st.

In-Class Prompt #4

Write a formal letter to your advisor (if you don't know your advisor's name, make one up), declaring your major (if you don't have a major picked out yet, just pick one for the assignment's sake). Pay close attention to tone, audience, and word choice. Use the following template:

Your Name

123 Main

Mankato, MN 56001

Date

Advisor's name

220 Centennial Student Union

Mankato, MN 56001

Dear Professor______:

First Paragraph: Formally declare your major

Second Paragraph: Write about why you'd like to major in this field.

Third Paragraph: Explain why you'd be a good candidate to major in this field.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Note: Make sure the letter is single-spaced and left justified. Use an additional space to separate paragraphs. Turn in this letter as a Word document on D2L (there's a dropbox marked Formal Letter to Advisor).

Homework for Monday, September 14th

Chose a song and write a summary/response about it. This could be your favorite song, or the song you hate the most. It can be any genre.

Summary

Describe the song in full detail. What is the title of the song? Who is the artist? What genre is it? What instruments are used? Are there any effects being used? If you know musical terms, provide them.

Response

Why do you like this song? Why do you hate it? Provide specific reasons, such as lyrics or the way the music makes you feel. Be thorough in your explanations.

Your summary/response should be at least two FULL pages, double-spaced. Please use Times New Roman, 12-point font. The page's margins should be 1". There is a dropbox on D2L, where the paper is to be submitted by the beginning of class on September 14th.

In-Class Prompt #3

View Kevin Carter's photo (see link in right margin titled, "Carter Photo").

-Describe the scene in full detail, using concrete images.

-What is your reaction to the photo?

-What does the image mean? What is the message being conveyed?

In-Class Prompt #2

"A Modest Proposal" Summary Response

Summary

-What is the focus (main idea) of the essay?

-What are Swift's arguments/points?

-What is the purpose of the essay?

Response

-Agree, disagree, propose an alternate solution/method for fixing the problem

-Use logic to validate or deconstruct Swift's argument/proposal

-Use logic to validate or deconstruct Swift's method/form (satire)

In-Class Prompt #1

What writing experience do you have?

-Has it been strictly academic?

-Do you write in your free time?

-Provide examples.

If you have written in your free time, what purpose(s) did it serve? If you don't write on your own, have you ever felt the desire to do so?

What are your expectations for this course?

What do you hope to gain from the class?